Learning & Formation

What does it look like to follow the way of Jesus? What did it look like for our ancestors in faith? What does it look like for us today? These are the questions at the heart of our Learning & Formation programs.

We tackle these questions from living room couches and Sunday School classrooms, and yes, via Zoom. We dive deep into the Bible, wrestle with topics like Christian approaches to prayer, justice, forgiveness, food, service, and community, and listen to Christian voices both ancient and modern. The goal is to both know our faith and be formed into the kind of people who can live it out in the world.

The mix of opportunities is always changing. A few are listed below. Be sure to check out the calendar for what’s coming up next. And if you don’t see something you like, reach out to our pastor to propose an idea: (413) 298-3137.

Explore Our Learning & Formation Programs

Engaging Children

Kid’s Time in Worship

During Sunday Worship, Pastor Brent shares a story with the families and children. For these times of online worship, these stories can be seen on the church’s YouTube channel.

Kid’s Time videos

Children’s Activities

Each Sunday there are new resources for families to engage with their children. Compiled by the Board of Christian Education, these worksheets and activities bring Bible stories and other teachings to life. They can be downloaded and printed anytime.

Activities for Children

The Language of the Heart: The Psalms

Fall Study—The Psalms

The Language of the Heart

Deadline to sign up: September 21 (these classes are closed – but please keep an eye out for the next ones!)

This Fall, you are invited to come together in an exploration of not just one of the most beloved parts of the Bible, but also one of the most important. This study will focus on the Psalms as living treasures that can and do speak truth into our times. There are two options:

An Introduction to the Psalms will cover a wide range of topics including what Psalms are, how we learn their messages, and how we live into their truths. The text for this section will be Beth LaNeel Tanner’s short work The Psalms for Today. Each week will involve approximately ten pages of reading and one Psalm from the Bible. This study will be done over Zoom.
Diving Deeper: This study will bring together Psalms that explore different genres and poetic forms. It will put those Psalms in dialogue with authors like Walter Brueggemann, Cynthia Bourgeault, C.S. Lewis, or your favorite authors. The goal is less to learn about these beautiful works, but to learn how they can be a source of wisdom and blessing in life. For a final project folks will have the chance to either put a current Psalm into new words or write a new Psalm. While some familiarity with the Psalms would be helpful, all are welcome.

2022 Lenten Study - Hope

Annual Lenten Study – Hope

Another long-standing tradition of Lent has been to gather in study and sharing. This year, we will be looking at hope through poetry and two fantastic books:

The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Adams
Love is the Way by Bishop Michael Curry

Both of these books are full of stories that will linger and connect – stories about finding goodness in difficult times. Participants will be asked to read ONE of the books and then to be part of weekly small group discussions to share what they are learning and take those lessons and apply them to our own times.

Pastor Brent and Elizabeth Young will offer a section in-person after church for the first five Sundays in Lent (ending the week before Palm Sunday). We also will be forming small groups to meet face-to-face or over zoom too.

Forty Days of Hope: A Lenten Devotional

Forty Days of Hope: A Lenten Devotional

Will you write a brief personal story about hope for inclusion in our Lenten Devotional? While Pastor Brent’s sermons will focus on stories of hope in the Old Testament, and the Children’s Time will focus on stories of hope on the journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter from the Gospel of Luke, CE would like to make a devotional dedicated to personal stories about hope.

Would you contribute a short personal narrative about an experience you’ve had with hope? (Approximately 1-2 paragraphs, 50-100 words). We hope to receive about 40 stories, and we will prepare a Devotional to people to read during Lent. We’ll also have a small group to discuss the readings in the Devotional every Thursday at 2:00 at the church as we did with the UCC Advent Devotional over Christmas this past year. In order to get the Devotional ready to distribute for Lent (which begins March 3), we need your stories by Friday, February 25.

While you are waiting for details, consider the following:

Consider Biblical and hymnal quotations that illustrate your story of hope. Also, think if you have an image that can be used as illustration.

Here are a few writing prompts to consider.

How or where have you found hope?
What does hope look like to you?
What have you done in hope?
What have you asked someone else to hope for you?
What have you hoped for someone else?
What do you do if your hope fails to happen?
What do you remember hoping for as a child?

Gospel of Luke Study

I’m interested!

Right now, it is natural to feel a bit discouraged. Ice storms, pandemic surges, discord in our political landscape, and the desperate need for things to start getting better! It is a perfect time to turn to Good News (which is what the word “Gospel” means) and the perfect Gospel for this moment is Luke.

Luke is known as the Gospel of Amazement. It is the Gospel that contains many favorite stories (like the annunciation), parables (like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son), and a unique focus on the vulnerable and the outsiders. The fourteen-week study spreads out the twenty-four chapters of Luke into manageable chunks and is designed to conclude with the Passion and Resurrection stories at the same time we are celebrating Holy Week and Easter in the church.

We hope to hold the study in small groups (4-8 people) with less of a goal to capture the Gospel of Luke, but rather to let its spirit capture us. Luke’s Gospel is always about unfolding into new understanding, new hope, new ways of seeing everything. We will be using a study from the Kerygma Program, an inter-denominational group that focuses on interactive learning designed to bring the Bible to life in ways that matter for our living. It is hoped that participants will be able to regularly attend their section and we understand that no one is likely to be able to attend all of them.

We launched the first small group on Tuesdays from Noon to 1:30 p.m. beginning January 18 facilitated by Pastor Brent. We know that other times and sections may be needed (including some evening times) but wanted to get this group going to finish at Easter. To indicate your interest in another time, please click on the button, “I’m interested!”

**Given the current state of the pandemic, we will start by meeting over Zoom. As the Omicron wave passes, we will open the hybrid option allowing those who want or need to zoom in to do so, while allowing those who wish to gather face-to-face to come to our Zoom room at church. Please call and talk with Pastor Brent if you have questions or concerns about this approach.**

Whether you are a veteran of Bible Studies, or this would be your first, you are welcome and the study will help you and Pastor Brent learn and grow. The study will come with a Study Book and each participant should have a good Study Bible. As with all studies we are happy to provide the resources to you. Anyone who can offset the costs for the materials (the Participant Study Guide was $22) are welcome to do so. If you need help picking out a Study Bible or have other questions, call Pastor Brent.

Black Sacred Music

African American music is American music, from blues to rock and roll, Motown, jazz, funk and hip hop. Within that, there is a rich heritage of black sacred music that evolved from spirituals to gospel, hymns, freedom songs and sacred jazz. In honor of black history month, the Christian Education board presents a series on black sacred music.

Click on the button below to explore Spirituals, Sacred Jazz, Freedom Songs, and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

black sacred music

Morning Prayer Services

In this quiet, contemplative time we draw closer to God and one another through prayer and sharing. Come and see. On Wednesdays, we join via Zoom; on Thursdays in-person under the tent on the church’s north lawn.

Each service begins at 8:00am and concludes by 8:25am.

Two women and a man engage in coversation about the Bible

Bible Study

Our Wednesday afternoon adult study, led by Rev. Rick Floyd on Zoom, is based on that Sunday’s preaching text and meets from 1:00 to 2:00. It’s a great chance to dive more deeply into the context and setting of the reading, prepare for worship, and consider how the Bible applies to our individual and collective lives. Each week is a different text, so come when you can.

Covenant

This program was held last year. We are always working to bring people together to discuss and learn.

We are excited to offer a new study, simply called Covenant (or holy promise). This study launched on October 6 with eleven participants. Although this study is under way, we will be offering other studies in the future. Please keep a look out for these.

This study looks at Covenant through the arc of scripture engaging the themes of Creating the Covenant, Living the Covenant, and Trusting the Covenant. The idea of Covenant is central to the theology and life of the United Church of Christ and this study aims to re-invigorate and re-imagine how it might give life to each of us and the church as a whole. The study will use video teaching lessons and small group conversations.

Resources for those in the program can be obtained by clicking below. Others are welcome to check them out too!

Resources